Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Asking a childfree woman if she’s thinks her decision is selfish is not a question. It’s a judgment disguised as a question. Childfree women are actually great assets to the planet. Our carbon footprint is smaller than a mom’s! And we have enough money to write checks to organizations that help kids get vaccinations, vitamins, and educations; yet have plenty of free time to advise your daughter that one day she will regret piercing her lip.

"Child-free people are not selfish," said Valenti. "You know, the idea that the only way to be selfless is to have children, I think, is a really dangerous notion, and a really dangerous ideal.
"There's plenty of ways to be a good, compassionate, productive citizen without bringing children into the world. So as long as we kind of think that, that stereotype is going to remain."
Tracy Ellen Kamens believes it's more selfish to have a child if you're not sure that you can be the parent that you'd like to be. "I've always said that I'd rather make a mistake and not have a child than have a child and find out that that's a mistake," she said.
"I think we all make selfish decisions," said Laura Ciaccio. "Every time you go out and, you know, buy yourself a latte instead of donating money to the poor, you're making a selfish decision.
"Life is about balancing the things you do for yourself with the things you do for the world. And there's a lot of ways to contribute to the world other than having kids."
Most people seem to agree: In fact, according to a new CBS News poll, only 16 percent said that people who decide to remain childless do so for selfish reasons.